A Legacy Remembered
by V.Evergreen
Summary: It strikes him as ironic that she's the first one to notice he was dying. Even if she didn't know it.


The fact he wasn't the one to notice at first just seemed so very him.

He was so absorbed in the rendering of the new suit in front of him that the hand on his shoulder failed to rouse him at first. It wasn't until Pepper actually shook him did he break out if his daze and look at her.

He expected to have a contract for him to sign, an email for him to read or something equally inane presented for his attention. What he actually got was worse in a way. Pepper was looking down at him in concern, her hands empty.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

He threw back a confused look, "I'm...fine." He said dragging it out. Neither of them would admit it but Pepper did have the tendency to fuss over him, especially since Afghanistan. He wouldn't call her out on it, mostly because he knew of plenty of better ways to make a blush rise to her cheeks but also a little because he liked it. It was a rare thing to have someone care for him, rather than what they could get out of him.

Even so, Pepper's concern was usually uncannily timed to when he actually did need it. Like the time there was a city wide electricity cut and just for a second the dark had reminded of a cave in a far off place. Or the time he tried to psyche himself up to get over his new found fear of baths (or any body of water to be honest) and ended up having a panic attack instead.

This time there was nothing. He felt fine, tired, maybe, from the work but nothing more that wasn't his own fault to begin with. Pepper didn't look convinced.

"You've been holding your chest for the last five minutes. Are you sure there's not something wrong?" Tony looked down.

To his mild suprise he saw that she wasn't wrong. His hand was pressed against his chest and he hadn't even noticed when leaning over his desk towards the screen. He didn't feel anything wrong, per se, just a sort of odd sensation under his skin.

He smiled at her. Not a sarcastic or condescending smile.

A real one to let her know there really was nothing wrong. She smiled back, satisfied that he wasn't in any real danger and went back to her work.

Tony returned his.

~o~o~o~

Three days later he remembered that conversation as he stood shirtless in front of the mirror.

He could barely see them, but what worried him the most is that he could most definitely _feel_ them.

They looked almost like someone had tried to ink a faint pattern onto his skin. Grey lines that crept from the embedded arc reactor and across his chest. Tentatively, he traced one of the lines, following it with his finger. He hissed when he pressed down to hard and quickly threw on a shirt; not even wanting to look at what was happening to him anymore.

His mind tripped over itself, thinking of the tests he'd need to run; all of the data he'd need to correlate, but deep down he could feel the despair; he should have known the moment he put that palladium in his chest that wasn't going to walk away from this one.

He could see it all as though it were laid out in front of him. He wouldn't tell anyone; he knew that already. The fuss and the drama would be ridiculous and it would whittle away at the little time he had left. He'd get sicker each day; Pepper would suspect something was wrong (wasn't she the one to notice in the first place?) but he'd distract her. With glib remarks, dazzling smiles and work, after all hadn't that worked for the last ten years?He already knew she'd continue to excel and it would keep her busy. That was all he really wanted. If she was busy the she couldn't be worrying over him. He'd spent his whole life being a thorn in her side but now that the end was in sight he couldn't bear the thought of that being how she remembered him.

What he needed was a legacy.

Something to be remembered for. The thought seemed to strike a chord as words from long ago and far away flitted through his brain.

_Don't waste it...Don't waste your life, Stark. _

His lips twisted into a sad approximation of his usual smirk. Just as he realised the value of the time he had left it was take away from him.

What was he going to leave behind? A metal suit, a semi-reformed company and a number on a bank account.

Well, the suit could go to Rhodey for a start. He didn't think he'd be needing it for much longer. Maybe there was a way for something good to continue.

The company was an easy one. It had to go to Pepper. She'd put more work into it than he had over the years and quite frankly he didn't think anyone else could handle it. He'd have to sign it before he...well, he'd have to give it to her personally. She'd probably think he was joking until he signed the dotted line but the was fine by him. He could pass it off as a spur of the moment decision and she probably wouldn't question it. Resist it, yes. Question it, no.

The money? He thought about it for a second before dismissing the thought. He'd give it to a charity. A small one perhaps. One last quirk that no one would understand before it was too late.

That was it.

All that he'd leave behind assigned to someone else. There would be other things, small things and big things alike but Pepper would know what to do with them. Sell them, keep them, let them rot. It wouldn't make any difference to him. After all, he'd be dead soon.

He'd be nothing but an old name that died on people's lips and half remembered face. He'd be a company that flourished and a suit that still saved lives despite the fact the occupant had changed.

He'd be nothing but his legacy.

... 

A/N-

thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, or even if you didn't, I'd love to know what you think, thanks- VE


End file.
